chief executive

American  

[cheef ig-zek-yuh-tiv] / ˈtʃif ɪgˈzɛk yə tɪv /

noun

1. the president of the United States.

   the powers of the chief executive, as granted by the Constitution.

2. the governor of a U.S. state.

   the newly elected chief executive of Rhode Island.

3. the head of a government.

   a conference attended by all the European chief executives.

4. Also called chief executive officer.  the head of an organization, company, etc..

   the chief executive of a media corporation.

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chief executive British  

noun

1. the person with overall responsibility for the efficient running of a company, organization, etc

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Etymology

Origin of chief executive

An Americanism dating back to 1825–35

Example Sentences

Travelers “generally understand the realities of traveling in remote and unpredictable environments,” said Akvile Marozaite, chief executive of the Expedition Cruise Network trade group.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 17, 2026

Chris Cate, president and chief executive of the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, said the project is going through the group’s review process but it has supported it thus far.

From Los Angeles Times • May 17, 2026

The chief executive of Cireco Scotland, Robin Baird, said he was confident that all staff were directed to safe escape routes.

From BBC • May 16, 2026

That moved them into second place in the list of the UK's wealthiest sportspeople, behind the family of ex-Formula One chief executive Bernie Ecclestone, whose wealth was valued at £2 billion.

From Barron's • May 15, 2026

Since there had never been a republican chief executive, there was no readily available vocabulary to characterize such a creature, except the verbal traditions that had built up around European courts and kings.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis